Abstract art, originating from ancient times with geometric symbols, diverges from literal representation. Utilizing elements like lines, shapes, colors, and forms, it conveys ideas aesthetically and symbolically. Mid-century Abstract artists departed from realistic depictions, opting for interpretive visions. Abstraction extends to sculpture, printmaking, and diverse media.
“Abstraction” encompasses non-figurative, non-objective, and non-representational art, seen in various styles evolving since the late nineteenth century. Movements overlap as pioneering artists refine practices.
In modern Western art history, abstraction emerged in the late 19th century amid technological shifts. Artists, influenced by movements like Romanticism and Expressionism, laid the groundwork for pure abstraction. Elements of abstraction appeared in Expressionism, exemplified by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” (1893). These movements, intertwined with Impressionism and Neo/Post-Impressionism, reflected societal changes.
1. Pointillism
Pointillism, a pioneering form of abstract art, emerged from Impressionism and is associated with Neo-impressionism. Founded in 1886 by French painter Georges Seurat, Pointillism utilized dots to create images, as seen in his famous work “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” (1884-1886). Initially criticized, the term “pointillist” eventually lost its negative connotation.
Developing alongside Pointillism was Divisionism, a Neo-Impressionist style that separated colors into dots or patches, blending optically from a distance. Seurat drew inspiration from Charles Blanc’s color theory, grounded in scientific principles.
Both movements, influenced by color theory pioneers like Chevreul and Rood, considered scientific discoveries. Unlike Divisionism, Pointillism focused on the use of dots rather than the separation of paint. Another artist, Paul Signac, worked in both styles, showcasing Pointillism in “L’Hirondelle Steamer on the Seine” (1901) and exploring simultaneous contrast in “Portrait of Felix Fénéon” (1890).
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Other notable pieces within the Pointillist genre encompass Henri Cross’s L’air du Soir (1893), Maximilien Luce’s Morning, Interior (1890), and Camille Pissarro’s La Récolte des pommes (1888), all representative of French Neo-Impressionism. Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) also incorporated Pointillist elements in his works. In his Self Portrait (1887), Van Gogh skillfully employs dots of paint arranged side by side, maintaining some aspects of traditional line drawing practices.
While the artworks of Seurat, Signac, Luce, van Rysselberghe, Cross, Pissarro, and Van Gogh maintain a representational quality, they exhibit distortion, with emphasis placed on the scientific application of colors and brushstrokes. The utilization of the Pointillist style diminished in the 1920s as artistic trends shifted toward greater abstraction.
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